Last December 10, Manuel V. Hechanova Memorial Elementary School had its first homecoming for batches 1979-2015. I am an alumna of batch 1995. When the school was in preparation period inviting the alumni, our class adviser, who is in the messenger group chat of batch 1995, encouraged us to join. Yet, none of us has shown interest at first although I was so sure that I wanted to be there because it’s been almost 30 years, or 28 years to be exact that I haven’t seen most my elementary classmates. About 9 days prior to the event, I tracked on my classmates who are here in the Philippines to allot their time for that occasion because many of us are busy with work responsibilities, besides it’s on a Sunday. There were only two sections in our grade since we used to be an extension school belonging in the district of Jaro. Although there are only 80 of us in the batch, I could determine that most of us have become successful in career and family. We have engineers, 5 star hotel chefs, teachers here and abroad, nurses, government heads, a bank manager, entrepreneurs, seafarers, an architect, ofws, etc. Some, haven’t made it much in career, but I believe most of them are happy and in content with their families.

Date back in elementary, we used to collect cows’ manure as organic fertilizers and we couldn’t get our year end clearance without submitting a plastic full to our Science teacher. We also had garden assignments and I was able to grow vegetables with my magic hands which I couldn’t do now! Imagine that! Then, we participated in different school meets. The most memorable were the Dinagyang drum corps competition and the yearly calisthenics as part of Jaro Fiesta. I believed that a huge part of what we have become now is because of the influence and training of our primary school and that we owe them our presence as our way of gratitude for molding us into better children first way up to adulthood.

On the other hand, I saw this video circulating on Facebook talking about “Why he doesn’t attend reunions.” And the main reason he mentioned is that we have different circumstances in life. Others have become financially stable and others are jobless. Which well, logically happens in life. Probably why some of our batchmates didn’t show up? However, reunions aren’t just all about “Look how I am now!” It’s also about reconnecting with our childhood playmates or friends whom we missed so much because we used to be like siblings for six years. It’s about sharing our time to our former teachers to say, “thank you,’ probably for the first and last time after graduation. Also, planning should include taking care of each other just so we could make the reunion possible, that way, reminiscing childhood memories could be complete and fun because in the memory and visualization of everyone, you are still that, “Most talkative one,” “The smartest,” “The bravest,” “The coolest,” “The Math wizard,” “The Crush ng Bayan” or the “The Singer” of the batch, no matter what your present circumstance is.
I am just so blissful that at least 12 of 80 were able to make it and that we had four classmates who also supported the reunion. Because perfect timing to be together again, appreciating and being able to care for each other is when we are alive, for tomorrow is not promised, just how we lost our most “kulit’ classmate who became a famous international chef, to a gruesome incident. He should’ve been there, filling the air with laughter, with us.

What made this small circle come together was that, a life has been lost and we shouldn’t wait for another burial as a valid reason. For our tears could’ve possibly been smiles if we have been sincere and excited to check on each other earlier or haven’t waited for a sad reunion.

So, instead of criticizing or assuming a negative perspective about homecomings, let’s look at the brighter side of seeing old souls in our life. Only then can we have our happy or even better versions of reunion stories. As for me, it was all worth setting even my family or work aside, because I was able to freeze the time as I was again just a child who sucks as a Chinese garter player but was a wonderful declaimer and poet, a classmate who was defined by our teacher as smart but couldn’t stay her butt on one chair, and of course, a nice friend to everyone. Reunion as ours alone had that gravity of bringing back a spark of bliss in my soul that I’m aware could only transpire, once in my lifetime.